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Sopport Resources
Getting started teaching in an online teaching environment does not have to be painful. It is a new experience and there are tools and support systems available to help new instructors to transgress to the virtual community. There are several school of higher learning that have created programs to provide assistance to teachers moving from the f2f environment to the online environment. Chico University created a site for instructors and designers of online courses with the concept of the Rubric for Online Instruction (ROI). It includes excellent tools for educators wanting to evaluate their own online courses and can be used for course redesign. Though it is geared to faculty teaching within a higher education setting, it can be adapted to other environments as well. The Rubric for Online Instruction (ROI) is a tool that can be used to create or evaluate the design of a fully online or blended course. Listed below are concerns new teachers may encounter and need assistance with while engaged in online teaching: 1'. How to conduct an on line class.' ' Inquire from other educators and learn how they conduct their classes and' how they interact and present their material to their students.Teachers can learn from other teachers who have taught online classes. Teachers can gain valuable experience just by acknowledging experienced instructors and observing how they conduct their classes . While in the class, the teacher can take note and present her questions and concerns to the instructor at the conclusion of the class. 2. Utilize the experience of different educators and get a superior comprehension of how to plan their online course with the help of other online educator. As an instructor, I would like to know that I have help from other instructors that could give me suggestions on certain situations. To help with this area, I would want to join a professional organization that could provide me suggestions on what to do in certain areas. I would use the following site for support as well: www.teachquest.com: '' 3. '''Assessable to the students' There are many ways that students can reach out to their instructors for assistance.' '''Teacher need to employ several ways to communicate with their students. Email is popular. Office hours are another method. Accouterments and appointments work also. The standard 24/48 hours is not necessary a one size fits all. Teachers need to go above and beyond this standard even if it means providing personal phone number in addition to and office number. Feedback is important and the thing that makes feedback valuable is time (Barrett, Poe, Spagnola-Doyle, 2012) . 4. '''Utilize quality matters to support in online teaching by utilizing rubric to help with evaluation of their work and that of learners' Businesses survive based on the quality of their work. Education is no different. Quality matters serve the purpose of ensuring that systems are in place and there are backup systems to keep things up and running if something goes wrong. Instructor pretest their program designs and technology prior to the start of classes. The quality of all system must be a major priority of instructors. There is no substitute for quality (Barrett, Poe, Spagnola-Doyle, 2012). 5. Blended courses are up and coming in the online environment. Assistance will be needed in this area Blended courses produce a stronger sense of community among students than either traditional or fully online courses. Blend courses allow learners to participate in both course environments making this form of education more challenging than the norm. Instructors will need to be into the know because this educational setting can quickly bring damage to the program. (Rovai & Jordan, 2004). The development and upkeep of this type of program can quickly get off track. 6'. Constructing course syllabus for the course' The construction of the course is a critical part of the entire course'. '''The course syllabus' isa tool that lead and guise students through the course and without it proper development, the course is doom from the beginning. The syllabus is something that needs to be developed prior to the start of the course and if possible be ready weeks in advance of the course. The syllabus provides information to learners that guide and direct them in an easy and organized path. 7. '''Tech support There are always problems in the area of online technology.' '''However, students need to be able to reach out to the tech supporters and get the help they need and get it in a timely manner. Information or tabs on the student home page should direct learners to the place and people who can provide them with help when needed. Tech support is an area that must be available to learners 24/7. 8. '''Navigation and use of online tools'. Information from instructors and others associated with movements through the course work must be available to learners at all times. This area also ties in with tech support. Teachers need to provide the proper information learners need to function throughout the course. Navigation through the course should be simple and easy for students to work through. 9'. Better acquainted with the Learning Management System (LMS)' There are many learning management system on the market'. '''Teachers should make sure the system they chose is one that students can use with very little difficult. Selecting the right system can be a challenge but with experience, the correct system can be obtained. ' '''